I Swear
by AnnetheV
Summary: A two-shot -and it will only ever be a two-shot- on Hestia's internal struggles after making a promise that she'll keep until the end of the Gods.
1. Chapter 1

**Please Note: Okay . . . So, I'm guessing that some of you will like this story, some of you will hate it, and some of you won't even get past the first line. Whatever you do, please remember that reviews are my only payment. :)**

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_Mythology says that Hestia, virgin goddess of the hearth, was sought after by both Poseidon and Apollo for her hand in marriage, but she was _supposedly_ immune to the charms of Aphrodite so she denied both of them, and swore by the head of Zeus to remain an eternal maiden (aka forever a virgin). Or that's how the Greeks _thought_ it went. . ._

"Why?" Zeus asked her, completely confused. "What I mean to say is, what reasoning could have leaded you to this conclusion? Why, not even Artemis—"

"Brother, please respect my wishes. There is more thought behind it than you think."

"But Hestia, surely you will tell me why this . . . request fulfilled." Zeus would have been sure Hestia was kidding except for the fact that his sister never joked around.

"You want the truth?" Hestia tried not to be impatient with Zeus. "Both Poseidon and Apollo have asked me to marry them. I. . ." Hestia hesitated. _Come on, you've rehearsed this! _She thought to herself. "I fear that, if I deny one for the other, this may cause some . . . discontent among us." Hestia reassured herself that she was doing the right thing.

"Very well," Zeus boomed. "You will have your wish. At sunrise tomorrow, I will call the council and you shall become an eternal maiden." There was a tone of finality in his voice that made it clear that Hestia would get her wish, one way or another.

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Hestia walked past the council, looking out of the corners of her eyes at each god and goddess as she passed them. Artemis had an approving look on her face, as did Athena. Aphrodite was shaking her head sadly, and Poseidon looked regretful. Hestia held her head as she passed the thrones, accidentally brushing Apollo as she passed. He flinched, and she quickened her step, looking toward Zeus and Hera.

"Take your oath." Zeus commanded, staring down at Hestia in the pale morning sunlight.

"I swear," Hestia began, determinedly keeping her gaze on Zeus. "On the head of Zeus, to give up men, and to remain and eternal maiden."

Thunder crashed around the throne room, finalizing the oath. Hestia blinked back tears of sorrow and relief. _Sometimes_, she thought with half glance at the thrones behind her, _the wisest choices were the hardest to make_.

The goddess exited the throne room as soon as Zeus dismissed the council, hoping that she wouldn't have to talk to _him_. Of course, the Fates couldn't let her get off so easily. He was waiting for her, casually leaning on one of the minor gods' houses.

"So you're an eternal maiden now," He wasn't looking at her, and Hestia felt guilty for a moment.

"You know why I did it, Apollo." She snapped, her anger at her decision finally surfacing.

"But you didn't have to!" He yelled at her. "You could have just said no to Poseidon, and then you wouldn't have to be _lonely _forever!"

Hestia bit her tongue. "And then what would have happened? Poseidon would have gotten mad, and he probably would have attacked you. Apollo, you may have the gift of prophecy, but you need to start thinking about the consequences of your decisions."

"So . . . this is it then." Apollo huffed. "You're just going to leave me like this, leave _us_ like this?"

"I swore—but . . . I want you to know something, Apollo, before we say good-bye permanently. I loved you. I still do." Hestia whispered.

Before he could respond, Hestia kissed Apollo, putting every regret she had about her decision into it. For a second, he didn't respond, and the goddess almost pulled away, but then he grabbed her chin and kissed her back. When Hestia pulled away, she was red in the face and so was he.

"Good-Bye Hestia." Apollo whispered, his lips barely moving.

"Good-Bye."

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**Yes, this is a one-shot, so I don't think there'll be any add-ons. . .**


	2. Chapter 2

**Camp Half-Blood**

**Yes, you guys managed to break through my hard shell and get a full story out of me. Yay, good for you and all that. But now you have to deal with my updates. I hardly ever update, and if you don't believe me, ask anyone who read my Fablehaven stories. It was BAD. Anyway, on another note, i have something else to tell you. Somebody (I believe it was ****anaklusmos1) told me that Hestia didn't swear on the Styx. Yes, this is true, but she swore on Zeus's head to show her trust in him as a ruler, and to reiterate his power as a ruler. So, yeah. But anyway, here's the story.

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**1980's**

Hestia stared at the orange shirts before her, smiling a bit as the kids filed into their respective cabins. The camp had been open for a few years now, and there was already an old feel to Camp Half-Blood. Hestia's smiled faded as she looked at cabin seven, the gold building that was shining brightly in the afternoon sun. Why were there SO MANY kids in that cabin? Hestia glared at the happy children going inside cabin seven. They all had similar feature, and carried bows and arrows, leaving no doubt who their father was.

"Groovy sunset, isn't it?" A voice said from behind her.

Hestia turned and found herself looking at one of the Apollo campers, a fifteen-year-old boy with bright blue eyes.

"Mmm…" She replied, her eight-year-old form tensing slightly.

"What are you doing out so late, dude?" The camper asked.

"I-just admiring the fire." Hestia found herself looking at the kid's honey-blonde hair, reminding herself that his mother was a mortal.

"Oh, so, what cabin are you in?" He asked, a smile lighting up his face.

Hestia hesitated "Err. . .Undetermined."

"Oh." The Apollo camper said. "But, then shouldn't you be at practice, man? 'Cause I, like, saw all the Hermes dudes going over to the archery place."

"I. . .was excused." Hestia tried to think of a valid excuse from archery without pausing too long. "Because I. . .pulled a muscle in my arm yesterday. . .uh-dude."

"That's too bad bro," The camper sympathized. "Well, I gotta, like, get to my cabin. See ya later, dude!"

With that, the Apollo camper went into cabin seven, leaving the goddess to look after him, those blue eyes branded into her own, because even when she closed her own eyes, the blue pair of a different generation would still be there.

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**1990's**

"Hey girl!" A cruel voice broke through Hestia's intense concentration on the flames before her.

"What?" She mumbled, turning around to face her attackers.

They were a couple of beefy Ares kids, one or two of the undetermined half-bloods with them.

"What's wrong with you, freak?" A guy with a messed-up looking face sneered at the goddess. "Why are you always sitting next to the fire like a _freak_?"

"Why are you bothering me?" Her small voice squeaked.

"Why are you such a freak?" An Ares camper asked, closing in on her. Before Hestia could react, she was being dragged away from her sanctuary and toward the canoe lake.

She tried punching and kicking her attackers, but they hardly noticed her weak attacks. Every blow she landed was tripled on her own skin. Hestia would've turned the kids into ashes, but Chiron had forbidden her (and Dionysus for that matter) from harming the children. Hestia was about to "harm" the campers anyway when a voice boomed in the half-darkness.

"Stop that _right now_."

The attackers stopped their assault immediately, and Hestia scrambled away without thanking her savior, running as fast as she could to put some distance between herself and the vicious campers.

Tears started stinging at the corners of her eyes, and she bit her lip and ran to the hearth.

The fire glowed dimly in front of Hestia. She poked the few smoldering ashes half-heartedly, trying not to think of the day's events. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. What a pathetic goddess she was! Not even able to defend herself from a couple of campers. No wonder she'd given Dionysus her throne.

"Hey, are you okay?"The all to familiar voice was back again.

Hestia refused to look up, maybe, if she didn't look at him, he wouldn't talk to her. Of course, he spoke to her again anyway.

"Look, I know you can here me," He sighed and sat down next to her.

"Why are you here?" The words came out softly, even thought she'd meant to snap at him. For the first time in a couple decades, she looked at Apollo (for that's who it was) straight in the face.

He wasn't any different than he'd been an eon ago. His blonde, curly hair was slanted slightly, making it shimmer slightly in the firelight. His eyes were shining brightly, as if they were radiating pure sunlight. He was still perfect, and she was. . .well. . .beat up.

"I came here to see my kids." Apollo stated, as if it were the most obvious thing.

"I-Of course." Hestia blushed, glad that the fire was bright enough to hide her face.

Apollo looked her. He looked serious, and when he opened his mouth, Hestia thought, for a second, that he was going to say something and bring back all of the painful memories, but then he said: "Why are you always an eight-year-old?"

"Eh?"

"I mean, everyone else is always either in their their teens, or young adults, or old people. It's only you and Artemis who are little kids."

"I. . .I guess I just like this form." Hestia shrugged. What an odd question.

Apollo grinned at her. "Maybe I should compose a haiku! Oh, I have a great idea. Ahem-"

"Nononononono!" Hestia screamed, but she was smiling with him now.

And they were laughing together again, just like the old times. For a while, the pain was gone. But then he left, and the heart-ache came back.

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**Review please! 3**


	3. Chapter 3

Actually, I lied. This is just gonna be a two-shot.

(Sorry, I keep changing my mind!) :)


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